The History of Creation(A)

In the (B)beginning (C)God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was (D)without form, and void; and darkness [a]was on the face of the deep. (E)And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

(F)Then God said, (G)“Let there be (H)light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the (I)darkness He called Night. [b]So the evening and the morning were the first day.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 1:2 Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.
  2. Genesis 1:5 Lit. And evening was, and morning was, a day, one.

The Beginning

In the beginning(A) God created(B) the heavens(C) and the earth.(D) Now the earth was formless(E) and empty,(F) darkness was over the surface of the deep,(G) and the Spirit of God(H) was hovering(I) over the waters.

And God said,(J) “Let there be light,” and there was light.(K) God saw that the light was good,(L) and he separated the light from the darkness.(M) God called(N) the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”(O) And there was evening, and there was morning(P)—the first day.

Read full chapter

Praise to God in His Holiness and Majesty

A Psalm of David.

29 Give[a] (A)unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
[b]Give unto the Lord the glory [c]due to His name;
Worship the Lord in (B)the [d]beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
(C)The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks (D)the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
(E)He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and (F)Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord [e]divides the flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of (G)Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the (H)deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”

10 The (I)Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And (J)the Lord sits as King forever.
11 (K)The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 29:1 Ascribe
  2. Psalm 29:2 Ascribe
  3. Psalm 29:2 Lit. of His name
  4. Psalm 29:2 majesty
  5. Psalm 29:7 stirs up, lit. hews out

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

Ascribe to the Lord,(A) you heavenly beings,(B)
    ascribe to the Lord glory(C) and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness.(D)

The voice(E) of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory(F) thunders,(G)
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.(H)
The voice of the Lord is powerful;(I)
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.(J)
He makes Lebanon leap(K) like a calf,
    Sirion[b](L) like a young wild ox.(M)
The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.(N)
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.(O)
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks[c](P)
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”(Q)

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;(R)
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.(S)
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;(T)
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.(U)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 29:2 Or Lord with the splendor of
  2. Psalm 29:6 That is, Mount Hermon
  3. Psalm 29:9 Or Lord makes the deer give birth

Paul at Ephesus

19 And it happened, while (A)Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through (B)the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

So they said to him, (C)“We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”

So they said, (D)“Into John’s baptism.”

Then Paul said, (E)“John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

When they heard this, they were baptized (F)in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had (G)laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and (H)they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.

Read full chapter

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos(A) was at Corinth,(B) Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus.(C) There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit(D) when[a] you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

Paul said, “John’s baptism(E) was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”(F) On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(G) When Paul placed his hands on them,(H) the Holy Spirit came on them,(I) and they spoke in tongues[b](J) and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 19:2 Or after
  2. Acts 19:6 Or other languages

(A)John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance [a]for the remission of sins. (B)Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Now John was (C)clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, (D)“There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. (E)I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you (F)with the Holy Spirit.”

John Baptizes Jesus(G)

(H)It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 (I)And immediately, coming up [b]from the water, He saw the heavens [c]parting and the Spirit (J)descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, (K)“You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 1:4 Or because of forgiveness
  2. Mark 1:10 NU out of
  3. Mark 1:10 torn open

And so John the Baptist(A) appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance(B) for the forgiveness of sins.(C) The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist,(D) and he ate locusts(E) and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.(F) I baptize you with[a] water, but he will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit.”(G)

The Baptism and Testing of Jesus(H)(I)

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth(J) in Galilee and was baptized by John(K) in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.(L) 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,(M) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”(N)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 1:8 Or in
  2. Mark 1:8 Or in